Consultation and Information Source of Interaction between Drugs and Health Foods among Pharmacists and Dietitians

Abstract

The prevalence of health food use is increasing not only among healthy individuals but also among patients. Many patients consume drugs and health foods concomitantly, and most of them use more than one drug and one health food. In this regard, the interactions between drugs and health foods should be addressed. However, it is not clear where healthcare professionals can get sufficient information about the interactions between drugs and health foods. To address this issue, we conducted an online questionnaire about the consultation and attitude concerning and information source of interactions between drugs and health foods among pharmacists and dietitians. Only 29.7% of pharmacists and 14.0% of dietitians always confirmed the use of health foods among their patients, even though they work at pharmacies or hospitals. Regarding concomitant use, 79.2% of pharmacists and 60.2% of dietitians allowed their patients to continue concomitant use, and less than 20% of them advised their patients to avoid concomitant use. Most of them checked the manufacturer's website and could not obtain sufficient information about the interactions between drugs and health foods. However, they utilized the "Information system on safety and effectiveness for health foods (HFNet)," which is the website of the National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, to obtain information, if they were aware of this. In conclusion, pharmacists and dietitians need more information about the interactions between drugs and health foods, and HFNet may play an important role as information source.